Fifteen years ago, Biohabitats began working with the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, along with other committed partners, to envision a swimmable, fishable Inner Harbor and chart a course to get there. At the Waterfront Partnership’s recent “Harbor Splash” event, an organized jump into the Inner Harbor, a few of our team members were fortunate to witness or be among those who literally immersed themselves in the realization of that vision. In the wake of such a significant splash, they shared some reflections. This one is from Marketing Coordinator, Brooke Forsythe.
Growing up in Harford County just 30 minutes north of Baltimore, I would often take weekend trips with my dad to the City and spend time at the Inner Harbor. We would enjoy the shops at the Galleria, visit the Maryland Science Center and National Aquarium, and in the summer, take the pedal boats out and see the City from the water. However, the message was always clear: “Don’t touch the water.” As I got older, I would attend summer concerts at Pier 6 Pavilion, where people would sometimes jump into the harbor to cool off and police officers refused to do anything about it because they were unsure about the safety of touching the water. It put into perspective for me how people felt about the water quality and safety of our natural resources. In school, we were taught that when explorers first came and maneuvered their boats up the Chesapeake and into the waters that would eventually be the harbor, they could drop a white dinner plate off their vessels and still be able to see it 20 feet down nestled in the bay grass. It always astounded me that at one point, the water was cleaner, less murky, and even swimmable, as that was not the harbor that I grew up with, nor the water that my parents or even grandparents had.
It can be hard to shake the stigma that has surrounded a place for many people for so long. It can be hard to let go of past truths to allow for new information backed by science and technology to change minds—and witnessing the Harbor Splash changed my mind. It was an incredible experience and one that I can say has changed the stigma of the harbor’s health for many. The work done by the Waterfront Partnership and countless other entities to improve the health of our harbor is vital to future generations.
